Hi All,
I've seen similar questions but not quite the same, and the answer is usually some variation on "it depends," so I figured I'd just ask.
I have two GM cars, a 2006 GMC Yukon XL and a 2008 Pontiac Vibe. I work from home so I don't drive all that much, I'd be surprised if either one went over 5,000 miles in a year at this point. The Yukon just passed 180,000 miles and the Vibe is just over 140,000 miles. Both call for 5W-30. They've been running on high mileage dino oil, and typically I change the oil every 6 months (manual calls for a change every 5,000 miles/6 months), but it's starting to seem kind of wasteful. So, my question is, if I was to switch to full synthetic high mileage 5W-30 in each, could I let it go for 5,000 miles/1 year rather than 5,000 miles/6 months?
For context, I live in a suburb of Denver, and nothing around here is particularly close, so I just about always get the car up to full temp before getting back home. Denver is very dry, and contrary to what some might think, it's actually not very cold. Yeah, there are some cold days, but 40 and sunny is a pretty typical winter day. I drive both cars regularly, if not that frequently, neither is going to sit undriven for more than a week or two. So, I don't think moisture will be an issue. Anything else I should be concerned about? Forever ago in high school auto tech I thought they said there were additives that broke down over time, is that still the case (was it ever)?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I've seen similar questions but not quite the same, and the answer is usually some variation on "it depends," so I figured I'd just ask.
I have two GM cars, a 2006 GMC Yukon XL and a 2008 Pontiac Vibe. I work from home so I don't drive all that much, I'd be surprised if either one went over 5,000 miles in a year at this point. The Yukon just passed 180,000 miles and the Vibe is just over 140,000 miles. Both call for 5W-30. They've been running on high mileage dino oil, and typically I change the oil every 6 months (manual calls for a change every 5,000 miles/6 months), but it's starting to seem kind of wasteful. So, my question is, if I was to switch to full synthetic high mileage 5W-30 in each, could I let it go for 5,000 miles/1 year rather than 5,000 miles/6 months?
For context, I live in a suburb of Denver, and nothing around here is particularly close, so I just about always get the car up to full temp before getting back home. Denver is very dry, and contrary to what some might think, it's actually not very cold. Yeah, there are some cold days, but 40 and sunny is a pretty typical winter day. I drive both cars regularly, if not that frequently, neither is going to sit undriven for more than a week or two. So, I don't think moisture will be an issue. Anything else I should be concerned about? Forever ago in high school auto tech I thought they said there were additives that broke down over time, is that still the case (was it ever)?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!